The boy underwent surgery for 12 hours of “anxiety and waiting that seemed like torture,” Chagas Freitas shared on Instagram. But in the end “everything went well.”
The writer thanks the “wonderful team” at the Children’s Hospital of Coimbra, led by Catarina Cunha, and leaves them his “deepest gratitude”. He also thanks those who supported him, the people who wanted to be donors and those who “created an unstoppable chain of love, strength” and “humanity.”
“This battle has been won,” the author highlights, and now “a new phase begins,” as Benjamin adapts to his “new self.” He admitted that Chagas Freitas’ son “had barely woken up, but he immediately wanted to know the meaning of a word he heard,” which he considered “a good sign.”
The boy was admitted to Coimbra Children’s Hospital for several days, and his father posted an appeal on social media, searching for a compatible donor.
At three months old, Benjamin was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which deteriorated his quality of life and “interrupted his joy many times,” Chagas Freitas says. According to his father, the boy “will not be free for a month directly from what brings you.”
“Just when he seemed happy, relaxed, and engaged in life, another symptom returned, another forced, racing, breathless visit to the hospital. It brought many bites, many tests, some hospitalization, and constant anxiety. Any small infection could be a problem or a severe downfall.” “.
The transplant was urgent, so the boy could “have the life he deserves, not this ordeal at the end of every day.”
